When Netu Freezes Over
by Olafur Neal
Summary: This story is basically what would have happend, in my head, if Vala and Daniel had argued about their non-relationship in the real world and not on a ship. Please review even if you hated it, and there will be D/V, Sam/Jack, and maybe some Cam/Lam ship.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story has been my brainchild for about a year or so. It's my take on life after Unending but before the movies. I wondered what the confrontation, on the Promethus, that Daniel and Vala had would be like if they were in the real world. My imagination kind of took off and ran with the idea and here's the product. It is still a WIP, because of various issues like crashing computers, but I will try my darnedest to keep a regular posting schedule. I will always try to stay a few chapters ahead. Reviews are very much appreciated and would make my day. Now to the story...

Vala sauntered into Daniel's office. As usual he was hunched over his desk studying an ancient document with the attention only Daniel Jackson could give dusty, ancient documents, written in dead languages. Upon seeing that she wouldn't be getting his attention anytime soon she made her way to his desk and strategically placed herself on top of his research notes. Daniel slowly looked up, his eyes falling on the shapely legs of one Vala Mal Doran. Finally making eye contact with her, Daniel cleared his throat, dismissing the thoughts that flew across his brain.

They had a silent staring contest until Daniel broke the silence, "Did you want something?"

"Yes actually I did. I'm so bored! I thought I could come visit you and we could go get some lunch." Vala replied with a slight pout on her face.

Daniel inwardly smiled. Lunch sounded really good. He looked into Vala's pouting face almost giving in, when a dark feeling like a stone dropped into the pit of his stomach. He couldn't describe it beyond that but it always prevented him from saying yes to her pouty face. "No, I really can't. I have to finish these translations. Maybe some other time."

Vala frowned she really thought he'd say yes this time. She steeled herself again, and defaulted to whining like a petulant child. "Please! These documents haven't been looked at in a several million years! Another hour won't hurt." Vala made her voice really small and her face truly pathetic looking with only the talent of a very talented con-artist, "Please?"

Daniel made one final effort, not really expecting that he'd really make it past this last protest. "I can't really. Why don't you eat with Teal'c, or Cameron, or Sam and Carolyn?"

"I've already tried that and I couldn't find Teal'c or Cameron, and I ate with Sam and Carolyn yesterday."

XFlashbackX

The three women walked through the mall laughing and talking, all ignoring the cares that were related to their work and enjoying a much needed afternoon off. Sam veered away from the group when she spotted a little boutique, and more specifically the gorgeous blue dress in the window. Carolyn and Vala barely had time to change direction before their friend was in the store asking about said dress.

After finally catching up to Sam, Vala asked her, "Not that I am objecting in your dress taste, or the fact that you're buying one, but why the urgency?"

Sam blushed slightly and responded, "Well as you know a certain General came to town today,"

"Yes and…" Carolyn prompted

"And he told me he was taking me out to a fancy dinner and to wear something nice."

"Oh that sounds really romantic. Do I hear wedding bells?" Carolyn asked grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"Everybody does love a wedding." Vala agreed smiling just as widely. In response Sam matched their grins and went back to perusing through the dresses.

XEnd FlashbackX

Vala shook off the happy memory and focused herself on the task of convincing the man next to her to go to lunch. "I promise only an hour. Then you can come back and lose yourself in million year old Ancient texts." She said running out of ideas to convince him to come.

She apparently didn't need to beg anymore because he gave one last exasperated sigh and said "Fine. One hour."

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Daniel and Vala entered the commissary chatting amicably when they noticed the rest of SG-1 plus Dr. Lam and General O'Neill, who still retained honorary membership in SG-1. After they grabbed trays piled with various types of food they joined their friends. They soon found themselves spectators to an ongoing debate between Cam and Teal'c.

"I'm telling you Indiana Jones beats Han Solo in a fight hands down." Cameron stated with conviction.

"I do believe Han Solo would be victorious because he possesses a weapon of superior strength than that of Indiana Jones' revolver or whip. That coupled with his ingenuity would make him the victor in a battle between the two." Teal'c rebutted with equal conviction and a look on his face that was scarier than his "Jaffa revenge thing" look.

Feeling as though he had lost the argument, for the moment, Cam turned to Vala and said, "So, Princess, you finally got Jackson out of his office!"

Vala nodded and replied, "Yes, well I was quite bored and I figured I hadn't graced him with my presence in a while. It took me a while to hunt him down and drag him here." Daniel just grunted with effected annoyance, trying to make it look like he was annoyed by her interruption.

Sam smirked, knowing Daniel's tactic well from the days when she was similarly interrupted by one Jack O'Neill. She also would feign annoyance to defer suspicion of her secret pleasure. She also found herself curious as to how his translation was coming, so she asked, "Have you figured out what the text talks about yet?"

Daniel's eyes lit up with pleasure as he explained, "Not fully yet no, but I have determined it's somewhat like a technical journal for several things including what looks like the early Stargate designs. It's pretty lengthy it also seems to talk about a mind altering device of some sort, among other things. Once I'm done with the translations you can have a look at it."

"That sounds fascinating. I would love to."

Jack rolled his eyes, becoming very used to his geeks techno-babbling. "As much as I like hearing you two talk about mind altering doo-hickeys, I have a burning question that needs to be answered. I was wondering who was all going camping-fishing next weekend." Silence wrapped around the once busy table as everyone remembered their upcoming vacation that they were practically ordered by Landry to take. Even though the fishing/camping thing became an annual event since the defeat of the Replicators, they didn't think they'd be able to go because of the Ori threat.

Breaking the contemplative atmosphere Vala piped up, "Oh my first camping trip! From the stories I've heard about last year, it should be exciting." When she finished she looked directly at Mitchell smiling wickedly.

Cameron started to defend himself, by denying any and all responsibility. He couldn't help that he had lost the only cover he had for his mesh roof tent; after all he had owned the thing for 10 plus years. He also couldn't have predicted the unseasonable rainstorms. Shuddering before he could finish that train of thought. "There was no way I could've know there'd be freak rainstorms!"

"You could have at least bought another covering. Or splurged and bought a new tent!" Daniel retorted, being the one who actually shared the tent with Cam and who had gotten soaked.

Both men ended up staying in Teal'c's tent, an awkward and uncomfortable situation for all, especially when there were candles involved. Needless to say when Jack and Sam got up the next morning they thought the situation was the most hilarious thing since Thor tried to ride a bike, and even though that concept was funny it was even funnier when it was Cassie's old pink, sparkly bike, with handlebar tassels. To this day Cameron still got flack for his lack of planning, and Daniel still refused to share a tent with him claiming it was bad luck.

"Regardless of what happened last year," Jack interrupted looking at both Cameron and Daniel with amusement. "is it a consensus that everybody is going this year?" A chorus of yeses around the table was interrupted, when a shriek was issued from Vala's general direction. Vala had been randomly looking in Jack and Sam's direction, as Sam moved her left hand, just as the fluorescent lights caught something big and suspiciously shiny on the aforementioned left hand.

Now having the attention of everyone at the table, and possibly the whole commissary Vala exclaimed, "Is that what I think it is!" She grabbed the other woman's hand, practically pulling her across the table. Seeing the gold band with a simple square cut diamond on Sam's ring finger she continued, "It is, and it's gorgeous!" Carter just nodded in response.

Daniel looked at Jack with great happiness but he couldn't help but tease his friend a bit and said, "Finally! I thought we'd all be old and gray by the time you got around to popping the question." Jack shot him a mock glare knowing that he was just teasing, but didn't say anything because Teal'c spoke next, "Congratulations O'Neill, Colonel Carter." bowing his head to mark the end of statement.

Lam was the next to react conveying her congratulations. Cameron was the last, possibly being the most amusing, he blinked his hand halfway to his mouth with a spoon full of food, still reeling from Vala's unusual vocal exercises. He looked at the two of them, put his spoon down slowly and smiled in an attempt to save face. He coughed slightly to take a moment to get his composure back. " Well kiss my Aunt Fanny! Nobody tells me anything! I knew stuff was happening but not this. I mean congratulations, and all but I didn't think it was happening anytime soon! Glad you finally popped the question though Sir, now we can all settle those bets going around." Sam just rolled her eyes in response. Jack couldn't help but look mildly perturbed.

Vala turned to Daniel and smiled in a way that if you weren't paying attention would look mischievous but in all honesty was completely serious, and said, "You know darling, we should get married."

Daniel looked up from his meal with a look that could only be classified as a deer-caught-in-the-headlights look. He quickly assessed the situation and completely missed Vala's seriousness and only saw the mischievousness. With that in mind he replied, with something that he would regret for a long time to come. "Right, when Netu freezes over." With that he continued to dig into his meal. The shocked faces around the table coupled with the strange tension that settled in the commissary went completely unnoticed by him. Vala's face dropped and she abrutly stood up and excused herself. Daniel looked up startled and only managed a clueless, "What?"

The people around him had looks of shock that would usually be reserved for the times that someone had spontaneously grown three extra heads, and those kinds things did tend to happen in their line of work. The silence was only broken when Jack turned to the remaining occupants of the table and exclaimed, "And I'm the one with the thick head?!?" It was only then that Daniel finally realized the gravity of the situation. No longer feeling welcome in the room he politely excused himself. He found himself wandering the halls of the SGC, eventually ending up at Vala's quarters, still wondering how he could fix things that, beyond all reason, seemed irrevocably broken.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here is chapter two, sorry it took so long, I wanted it to be really great and then school and family stuff got in the way, but here it is nonetheless. Hope you like it, please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own this franchise, really wish I did, but I don't. I will put the characters and story lines back where I found them when I am done with them, so please don't sue me, all I have is lint in my pockets.

Daniel hesitantly knocked on Vala's door and waited for an answer. When it arrived, it was in the form of a gruff, disembodied voice yelling, "GO AWAY!"

"Not until I get a chance to talk to you." He answered back calmly, reserving the begging for later.

"How about you get a chance to talk when Netu freezes over?"

"You can't seriously be upset about that… can you?"

Vala almost laughed at his stupidity (the operative word being almost). She was too angry to laugh, so she opened the door and pulled him through it. Her pulling him into her quarters was for her benefit as much as his, because her anger was so red hot that a "conversation" with the door between them was bound to draw attention, whereas muffled screaming would draw, less. "I cannot believe your incredible thickness! Of course I can be angry with you; if we were on any other planet I would have every right to castrate you. Except from the very beginning I have never been vague about my intentions," Her tirade was interrupted by Daniel's.

"Your intentions," He had to pause because he actually couldn't believe that she thought that he could believe her, "Your intentions have always been you want to bed me because you've been bored! So don't act like you love me or that it's anymore than some off hand, one night stand! Besides we both know that any sort of relationship would be laughable, we are so not right for each other, it wouldn't happen in a million, billion years, and you know that. So I am so sorry if I don't consider your intentions as anything but a flirty-sexual act!"

By now Vala was in tears, he didn't notice, she didn't expect him to. Her fury was somewhat abated but not enough to make her want him to stay. "If you hate me so much why don't you just leave?" When she said that Daniel's anger broke and he looked at her with sadness, touching her shoulder. She looked up at him with so much hate that it made him take a step back, then he did what she asked and turned around and left. As he exited her quarters he hardly noticed Jack, Cameron, and Teal'c follow him or Sam and Carolyn entering Vala's quarters.

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When Sam entered the room she saw Vala's figure on her bed, wracked with heart-wrenching sobs. Even though much of Sam's own pain, when it came to matters of the heart, had largely been internalized and kept under wraps, she understood what it felt like when you thought that the person you loved didn't love you back. Carolyn lingered by the door not sure what to do or say, waiting for some stroke of brilliance to hit her so she could help her wounded friend. Then at the same moment both women came to their own separate but similar conclusions and made their way to the bed, sitting on either side of Vala hugging her, because they couldn't say anything to mend or soothe her broken heart.

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When Daniel and his "followers" arrived in his office they all took places around his desk. They all waited in silence for someone to speak, not wanting to make eye contact, because they didn't have any idea what to say. Daniel stared intently at his million year old texts that didn't seem all that important anymore. He didn't know what seemed important anymore, she made him so off-balance. His thoughts were interrupted by Jack who spoke up because he could no longer stand the silence. "What were you thinking? I mean it's pretty obvious that you weren't using much of the brain power that God gave you but what were you doing the rest of it?" Jack waited for his response in silence staring intently at the other man.

"Honestly I thought it was another one of her games just to throw me off balance so she could have a few laughs at my expense." Daniel couldn't finish because he was cut off by Cameron.

"Yeah it sure seemed like she was laughing back there. Maybe your 'Vala-gauge' is a little off." Daniel looked at Teal'c urging his old friend to say something.

"Whatever I wanted to say was eloquently summarized by Mitchell and O'Neill." Teal'c looked at his friend like he made the biggest mistake of his life. Of course no one knew as much as Teal'c did, but even he was unsure of how to handle the new turn of events.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here is chapter three! Sorry you guys had to wait so long, life got in the way and I got a wicked case of writer's block, but I'm back and I really am working hard for a hiatus like that to never happen again. Thanks for all the reviews and kind words. Much thanks to my Beta, Spacegypsy1, without her assistance this would not even be close to completion. **

**Disclaimer: I do no claim to have any stake in the Stargate franchise, if I did things would have gone a lot differently, I am just playing with the characters and promise to put them back when I am done. Now onto the story...**

Jack had finally loaded everything into his truck and could now pick everyone up. It was a simple enough plan, go to Carter's place and pick up their female companions, then onto Daniel's where the men were staying and then they could all head up to his cabin. Jack couldn't shake the feeling that somehow it would get all screwed up.

The past week since "the incident", as Jack liked to call it, there had been a bevy of awkward silences and terse comments that made life at the SGC almost unbearable. The tension could have been cut with the proverbial knife. The silence didn't just affect the team it permeated through the entire base. All the bookworms knew to stay far away from Daniel's office because they knew all they were going to get out of him were incomprehensible half acknowledgments and the occasional frustrated outburst.

Not surprisingly, Vala was the worst, when she wasn't acting like a complete brain dead zombie she was everyman's worst nightmare. Airmen everywhere feared for their future chances to procreate when she came within 50 feet of them.

Just thinking about the whole debacle made Jack nuts. If something didn't change soon he was seriously thinking of involving a zat, some rope, and a locked room. If Daniel and Vala didn't want to approach the subject like adults then he was fully capable of treating them like children. Sighing heavily Jack pulled himself into his newly purchased SUV and prepared himself for the long journey ahead.

XXX

Daniel was convinced that there was evil genius at work, if there wasn't he wouldn't have been squished so closely to the woman he had been avoiding for a week. He glanced around Vala and glared at his very large, very smug Jaffa friend. Usually, Daniel cared for his safety enough not to challenge Teal'c, but he was pissed. He should have known from the minute people started calling spots and Teal'c insisted on sitting in the middle row that he should have been worried.

Why the large Jaffa felt the need to cram himself into seat so small was a great mystery to Daniel. It probably wouldn't have mattered as much to the archaeologist if the seating arrangement had Vala anywhere but practically in his lap. Vala didn't look too happy with the arrangement either. Ensconced in their own little cave-like spot between several medium sized suitcases, Cameron and Carolyn were unaware of the growing tension in the row in front of them. Daniel envied their ignorance. When Daniel made eye contact with Jack through the rearview mirror, he found Jack's brown eyes filled with mirth, causing his mood to turn darker. So yes, he believed that his friends, with the help of some higher power, were working up some evil plan.

If there wasn't the invaluable invention of both the iPod and the radio Daniel would have been suffering in silence. He recognized the familiar tune from Sam's iPod, it was "Singing in the Rain". Because of his advanced state of melancholy Daniel only vaguely registered his friends playing games that pertained to the songs playing. If he was paying more attention he would have noticed that everyone would be having more fun if he and Vala stopped acting like stubborn mules and gotten into the spirit of the trip. He would have also noticed that his two, newly engaged, friends in the front seat had matching expressions of determination. Expressions that only meant one thing, they were scheming. Daniel was only brought out of his grim thoughts by Jack's declaration of food ala Denny's. Before he knew it they were pulling into a parking lot.

XXX

After everyone had a chance to get out of the car and stretch out the kinks and sore muscles they all began to walk slowly toward the restaurant. Sam fell into step with Vala and pulled her aside, while Jack did the same with Daniel. Having a talk wasn't the most brilliant plan either one had ever come up with but it would have to work for now.

"Daniel." Jack rocked back and forth on his heels and cleared his throat.

"Jack?" Daniel replied.

"Daniel." Unsure of how to break the awkward tension, Jack fell silent.

"Jack." Daniel bit out the name in annoyance.

"No need to bite my head off. I just wanted to let you know that I do realize what's going on and I'm putting a stop to it. You need to talk to Vala. Now. Not in another 5 hours when we reach the cabin. I invite you guys along because one, it's relaxing and two; it's a whole heck of a lot of fun. I want to enjoy this trip and right now I feel like a bomb that's about to explode. I am not asking you to lay it all out, just start a conversation, make nice, so this car trip is somewhat bearable. I swear if things keep going the way they are I'll get T to zat one or both of you."

"But…"

"But nothing, I know you want to apologize for being a complete and total jerk. Just think of this conversation as incentive."

"Fine." Daniel didn't know what to make of the whole situation but he would talk to Vala. No doubt she would wind up slapping him or castrating him in his sleep for something stupid he was bound to say. But he would try nonetheless.

Jack smiled smugly and patted Daniel on the shoulder and walked into the restaurant while Daniel grudgingly made his way over to where Vala was standing with Sam. As he walked up to them he could hear the final part of their conversation.

"But Sam talking will only make things worse! Even if I wanted to talk to him, which I don't by the way; I would get even more mad!"

"I understand, really I do. But we are going batty. I want to help you but I can't if you don't resolve this; Jack is on his last nerve and he won't hesitate asking Teal'c to shoot you and Daniel with a zat."

"Muscles is against me too?"

"Nobody is against you; we all just want you both to be happy and to work out whatever problems you have." With a smile of acknowledgment to Daniel, Sam walked away from her woebegone friends to catch up with Jack.

Staring awkwardly at the ground Daniel started the conversation on a point of commonality. "So I heard you were threatened with the zat gun too. They must be serious this time around."

"Look Daniel I am not really interested in making miniscule conversation. As much as I care for you, I really hate you right now. You really hurt me and I am not willing to smile and act like nothing is wrong this time."

"It's, uh, small talk and I understand. The way I've acted isn't really covered by words. I do know that I need to change and I am willing to. I also know that everything can't be fixed right now. So why don't we, for the sake of not getting zatted by our large Jaffa friend, call a truce. Then from here we have a jumping off point."

"How do I know you mean it, will mean it? How many times have you apologized? How many times have you apologized and I've forgiven you and stayed around long enough to see you do the exact same thing again? Things aren't that simple Daniel, no matter how genuine you are being. I was, and still am, a very independent strong-willed woman. I refuse to allow you to toy with me." Vala walked toward the restaurant, but Daniel placed a firm hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"You talk about not toying with you but what have you been doing to me for the past two and a half years? Let's just think back to when we first met. You did everything you could to deceive me, including using your sexuality. Then you come bouncing back and slap glorified handcuffs on me, which almost killed me. Oh, let's not forget the part where you told me you were pregnant. All the while you flirt and tease your way into the heart of every man on base and just about every planet we visited. You still do. How can you expect me to believe you, when you say that you mean it?"

"You really are that blind aren't you? I thought the last time we had this discussion you knew that I wasn't pretending, that I really would love to have all your babies and be perfectly content to live the rest of my life with you on this backwards planet. The only reason I came back was for you. You pegged me from the very beginning. I was scared to open up and accept the new friendships and love I was given. You saw that through all my pretending, why can't you believe me now? Why can't you see the Vala who for the first time in her life is being as real as she has ever been? Have you been hiding from the truth so long that you can't see it when it stares you right in the face?" She broke away, the pain too much, the tears too much to hold back.

Daniel stared at the woman in shock. She was right. He loved her so much that it tore him apart. So he hid it because for the first time in years he had fallen in love but he was terrified that it would fall through his fingers. That it would end in a nightmare that would haunt him like the loss of Sha're did. It killed him that he started believing the lies he fed himself. It killed him that it was causing the woman he loved such pain. All he could think to do was pull Vala into a hug and hope he could ease her pain. So he did.

Vala's sobbing abated, her breathing evened out, but she still clung to him tightly, as if he was her only lifeline. After what seemed like an eternity Vala shifted so she could look at his face. All she saw when she looked at him were soft lines of worry that caused his brow to wrinkle, slightly, coupled with a look of warm and sincere affection. She felt safe, for the first time in a long time, she felt as though she could be free to trust the man who held her attention. She wasn't expecting a completely strife-free future, it was the two of them after all, but the feeling of contentment that settled into the pit of her stomach was telling her not to worry. Breaking the comfortable silence Vala finally spoke with a finality that left no room for further conversation. "I agree to a truce but I swear, to any Gods that might exist, that if you break my heart I guarantee that you will experience levels of Gou'ald torture that no Taur'i has ever experienced."

Daniel smiled slightly at the fiery woman in his arms. "In some sick twisted way I'd be disappointed if you didn't." With that he slipped his hand comfortably in hers. They looked towards the Denny's in enough time to see their friends peel themselves away from the window by their booth trying, and failing, to make themselves look as innocent as possible.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey folks, sorry for the delay, real life threw some really wicked curve balls at me, but I am back and this story is on my high priority list. I own nothing of Stargate SG1, I am just borrowing the characters for some fun and then they will be put back when I am finished, and I am a poor college student so suing me would really not be a fruitful endeavor. Now to the fic...**

The sun filtered through the thinly draped windows in Jack's living room. No longer being able to ignore the light that assaulted his lidded eyes, Daniel groaned and started groping for his glasses.

They had arrived very early in the morning, or late in the evening, depending on how you looked at it. Either way it meant he needed coffee. Slowly navigating his way through an impromptu obstacle course, assorted luggage, a Jaffa, and a Mitchell, he made his way toward the kitchen. Finding everything easily, Daniel methodically started brewing the coffee.

Movement from the kitchen window caught his eye. It was Jack and Sam. Jack was looking at her with unhidden adoration as she was giving a fishing line, riddled with horrible knots, the attention she usually reserved for complicated alien technology. Her frustration was slowly growing and she finally heaved a huge sigh and gave up, handing the troublesome line to Jack. Jack smiled broadly and worked through the difficult knots with experienced ease.

Daniel chuckled at the triumph that crossed Jack's face and the awe that graced Sam's. He figured that she was complaining about how she could rewrite laws of physics but managed to bungle the simplest task. The look on Jack's face clearly said that's why you have me. The simple kiss Sam answered with ended the dialogue, spoken or otherwise. Daniel refocused on his coffee making, giving his friends some privacy.

xxx

Daniel stepped out into a muggy morning haze, his coffee clutched tightly in his hands. His brain was still addled by the long drive to the cabin but the coffee had already begun to take effect. As his eyes adjusted to the morning glow he breathed in the warm earthy smells that always seemed to relax him.

A loud bang, that sounded somewhat like a small explosion, broke the idyllic scene "Dang it all ta hell" The stream of curses, all accented by a southern drawl, were muffled by another loud crash. Daniel looked over to the pond to see Jack shaking with silent laughter.

"What did you do to him?"

Jack turned, from his fishing, to face his longtime friend and sobered. "...Nothing..." but he couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face.

Hoping to get some real answers Daniel turned to Sam who just shrugged noncommittally. He didn't need to look farther because the source of commotion came around to the backyard: hair smoking and face blackened still muttering under his breath, basically looking like a cartoon character come to life. Daniel covered his smile under his coffee mug. He shouldn't have been amused but the man didn't seem too injured.

"Come on Jack, what did you do?"

"Well, he saw my old quad and kind of took it upon himself to fix it up."

"And..."

"And...I forgot that I rigged it to make a teeny-tiny explosion. Not even an explosion more like fireworks. Really teeny-tiny" Jack punctuated what he said by pinching his thumb and index finger together.

"Uh-huh." Daniel let the conversation drop rocking back and forth on his heels, enjoying his coffee.

"What was all that commotion about? Is Mitchell all right?" Daniel heard Vala ask behind him. Turning to face her, his response died on his lips, his mouth hanging open. Vala stood before him in one of the smallest black bikinis he had ever seen. She was covered but only just.

"Your mouth's open." Jack couldn't hide the amusement in his voice.

"Huh?"

"The hole in your face that you use to issue forth sound is opened wide enough to fit your fist." Somewhere in listening to Jack's words they registered and Daniel snapped his mouth shut.

After he managed to tear his eyes away from Vala's female form he looked at her face. He mentally patted himself on the back for accomplishing the feat, then his momentary state of satisfaction was crushed when he saw the cat-like smile on her face. He knew it well, it was the one that she used when she knew exactly the effect she was having and she was enjoying it immensely, and all he could think was: 'Oh crap.'

"Daniel what happened to Cameron he looked like a claymore went off in his face."

"Jack...Quad...Rigged." Three whole words, he managed to get out three whole words, he was so proud of himself.

"In my defense I forgot I rigged it!" Jack looked at Sam but she just gave him the "Riiiiight" look.

"I did."

"Right, well, I'm off to make use of this sun and get a nice tan. Care to join me Darling?"

"Uh, no that's all right. I burn easily, fair skin, you know." he must have been on a roll because this time he got out two sentences, together.

"Oh well." With that she practically skipped over to a spot near the pond and quickly settled down.

Once she was out of earshot Jack asked, "You okay there Dannyboy?"

"She doesn't play fair. I haven't even finished my coffee yet."

"If I didn't know any better I would think you were whining."

"Shut up." He stared intently into the black depths of his coffee. It was going to be a long weekend.

xxx

Daniel had never been good at relaxing, he always had to be doing something, that's why he brought a book to Jack's cabin: it was something remotely relaxing and it kept his mind busy. The book was distracting to a point, and that point was Vala in a bikini. It wasn't just her choice of swimwear, it was how relaxed and peaceful she looked, how almost opposite of her normal self she seemed.

He closed his book and sighed, he hated feeling out of sorts and that seemed to be his natural state of being for the time…being.

"A penny for your thoughts." Sam interrupted his confused inner dialogue

"I don't think it's worth your money."

"Oh that's okay I have more where that came from."

"She's just got me so turned upside down. I don't know how I feel. Don't get me wrong, I care about her deeply but it's everything that comes with those feelings that's got me so uncertain."

"Let me guess: 'Am I making the right decision?', 'Will I screw it all up?", 'Does she love me as much as I love her or in the same way I do?' There's more but I think you get the point."

"Yes on both counts. How are you so wise in the ways of the uncertain mind?" He already knew the answer but he figured she'd tell him anyway.

"Oh please, Daniel, I asked myself those same questions plus a hundred more a million times a day for seven and a half years. Why do you think I almost married Pete?" She almost cringed saying his name.

"Yeah we all wondered about that. The general consensus was that you finally cracked from sheer mental exhaustion."

"Oh shut up. My point is with love you can never be too sure because your brain isn't the organ you need to be thinking with, it's your heart." touching his chest for emphasis, "Just take the leap and if you're following your heart it will all work out.

"Uh, thanks Sam."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks so much for the support and your reviews, they keep me going. I surprised myself and got this out relatively quickly, I hope you guys like and review. I must take a moment and thank my beta, spacegypsy1, without her help I would not have been able to get this chapter out and if I did it wouldn't have been nearly as good and the grammar would have made English teacher's everywhere sob.**

**Disclaimer: I do not or will I, probably, ever own Stargate SG: 1. I am just borrowing the characters and letting them out to play for a little bit and I WILL put them back exactly as I found them. Really, please don't sue me I am a poor college student without a dime to my name. Without further ado...**

Vala sighed, stretching across the comfortable couch in the Cabin's living room, completely relaxed. She adored the relatively unique, Tauri, concept of taking a vacation. It was nice to take time for oneself, with good friends, to get away from all the worries of their high stress working environment. Jack was definitely smarter than he looked because he knew exactly what they all needed. To make everything better her beloved Daniel was coming to his senses and earlier he'd been absolute putty in her hands.

The object of her affections interrupted her musing with a small cough. She looked at him, sitting across from her on the couch, warmed by the smile gracing his lips. Becoming curious at his totally open gaze she asked him why he was staring at her.

"Oh, no reason in particular, just admiring the view."

Her eyebrows shot up and her mouth dropped open. Where had that come from? "Okay who are you and what have you done with my Daniel?"

"Oh it's me; I'm just trying a new thing."

"And what is this 'new thing'?" She accented her words with air quotes, one of those Earth habits she picked up from Jack.

"Honesty, well honesty to myself, you know I've gotten into a terrible habit of lying to myself."

"Oh, well I could see how that'd be a horrible habit to break." Testing the waters she slid closer to him closing any gaps conceivable.

Before their little experiment at domesticity, Daniel would have gotten VERY uncomfortable and bolted but he looked at her with a spark of defiance showing that he'd take anything she'd dish out.

Vala took Daniel's mischievous smile as an invitation and covered his mouth with hers.

XXX

Daniel was sure he now knew what an aneurysm felt like, because as soon as Vala kissed him he could've sworn that there was an explosion somewhere in his brain. This was second time he'd been kissed like this, both by the same woman, only this time he didn't have a pesky concussion clouding his senses. It was frenzied, sweet, sultry, and most of all passionate. It was everything he loved about Vala wrapped in one kiss. He barely had time to respond before a splash of cold water came in the form of one Jack O'Neill. "Do you guys hear that?"

Jumping apart like caught teenagers, Daniel and Vala composed themselves. "Come on, REALLY, Jack!" Daniel might've laced the name with more venom than he intended. "I didn't hear anything, but then again I was busy."

"Yeah, I saw that." Jack looked very smug with his hands stuffed in his pockets and rocking back and forth on his heels. "In all seriousness I keep hearing this noise, like singing."

"You've finally cracked, we've been waiting for the day, and it's finally come, you're hearing voices."

"Daniel, darling, I think I hear something too, it's coming from the hall. Whatever it is its really pretty."

Daniel seemed to ponder this, and looked like he was straining to hear something. Then he heard it, soft singing sounds. "Huh, yeah, I hear it too. Is it coming from the bathroom?"

The trio followed the noise and ended up in front of the bathroom door, looking at Teal'c, Sam, and Cameron.

"So I'm guessing you heard it too?" Jack asked.

"Wait. If we're all here and Carolyn isn't that means whatever we're hearing is…" Sam didn't get a chance to finish her sentence before the aforementioned doctor opened the door, stepping out into the hall, drying her hair with a towel and humming quietly.

Carolyn stopped abruptly and stared at the people surrounding her. Awkward silence didn't really cover whatever seemed to be happening. Until of course Jack decided to kill it with something witty. "Well this is a cliché."

"Indeed."

"Uh, hi, guys." Carolyn's hair drying slowed as the fact that she was the center of attention finally dawned on her. "I'm confused."

"You singing in the shower, and quite well I might add, is a cliché." Daniel interjected helpfully.

"That was 'bout the prettiest thing I've ever heard. Whippoorwills have got nothin' on you." Cameron's eyes were slightly glazed over and completely moony.

Sam muttered something that sounded like "Oh brother." Jack just rolled his eyes, Daniel found the floor very interesting, Vala got a very pleased smile on her face, and Carolyn's face took on a hue of very bright pink.

"ColonelMitchell, I believe you are drooling." Teal'c took it upon himself to vocalize what everybody else was thinking, except for maybe Carolyn, he might've been stoic on the outside but internally the Jaffa was cracking up.

"Huh, Oh right, I uh…" Mitchell's voice trailed off figuring saying nothing was better than making a fool himself.

"Yeah, well campers," Jack broke the silence with a loud clap of his hands, "I suggest we resume normal vacation activities before this moment gets more awkward than it already is."

No one seemed to argue with him and they quickly moved away from the scene of the 'crime', so to speak. Each going back to what they were doing.

Seeing Daniel and Vala trying to sneak away by themselves Jack couldn't help to be a pain one last time and added, "You two keep those hands where I can see them, I'll be checking periodically, you know for…safety…purposes."

Daniel just rolled his eyes and dragged Vala behind him, looking for privacy. Meanwhile Sam came up behind Jack and hugged him around the waist.

"Safety purposes?"

"Yeah that sentence got away from me." Sam just snorted in response and spun her fiancé around.

Jack waggled his eyebrows. "Ohhh, I'm getting flashbacks to a sweet little tank top number."

Sam smiled widely and ended any further conversation by kissing him soundly.

XXX

The day had wound down, badly burned steaks were eaten and the group of friends had fun just hanging out together and taking full advantage of their vacation by being completely goofy. The seven of them now sat in front of Jack's fire place warm and cozy under blankets content to be with good friends. That was until Jack got this look on his face that most people had the wear-with-all to turn and run when they saw it.

Daniel, after all these years, didn't. "Jaaaack, I know that look, what are you thinking?"

"Oh nothing Spacemonkey, I was just thinking."

"Thinking what?" Daniel's voice was wary

"Oh that Vala's never played truth or dare." A chorus of groans, a few no's, and maybe a conspiratorial chuckle went like a wave over the group.

Vala's eyes brightened. "No I have not, but whatever it is it sounds like fun."

"Well then if the princess has never played it before I think it's high time we introduce her to it." Mitchell spoke up.

Carolyn not Daniel was the hardest to convince to play but in the end everyone acquiesced and they began.

Cameron went first. "Sam, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"What did you take off when…" He didn't get to finish when Sam interrupted him.

"Truth, did I say truth I meant dare."

"Hey, you can't change your choice ex post facto. It's against the rules."

"Actually, ColonelMitchell, regarding that incident she can."

Mitchell got the look he usually did when his Teal'c to English Dictionary was missing a page and Daniel took it upon himself to assist him. "That particular incident is under the protection of the 'What happens off-world stays off-world.' agreement. You know the one we told you about after you…"

"Oh yeah that one, y'all came up with so much stuff before I showed up that I can never keep it all straight."

"How many incidents are never spoken of?" Carolyn asked genuinely interested.

"42 and a half." Teal'c offered up succinctly

"What's the half for?" Vala interjected

"Well usually the whole mission is never spoken of again, and the mission reports on file are usually devoid of the juicy non-essential stuff, BUT there was one mission where everything was going just fine until we blacked out and it was the way some of us woke up that got edited and what we now never speak of." Jack finished with a semi-grin while Sam ducked her face in his shoulder, hiding a blush.

"Alrighty then, let's get this game back on track, I concede that you won't answer that question but you can't change from truth to dare, I just get to ask another question." He grinned widely at the squirming Colonel. "Why did you really grow your hair out? I know you said it was no reason in particular and you wanted a change, but I know for a fact you prefer shorter hair and you never do anything without a real reason, so out with it."

Sam's face got pinker but she manned up and looked Cameron in the face and said in most matter of fact tone of voice she could muster, "Jack likes to fiddle with things." and with that she nestled closer to her fiancé and he started playing with her pony-tail, with the biggest smarmy smile he had in his repertoire.

Comfortable once again Sam spoke up. "My turn Teal'c, truth or dare?"

"I believe I will choose truth."

"Okay, what was it with that blonde soul patch you wore for a whole year, I know it was a dare but why was it blonde?"

"I believe Bra'tac said something about it matching my skin tone."

The whole room was silent besides the crackling of the fireplace while everyone just stared at the very large Jaffa and then they all proceeded to laugh hysterically. It took a while for everyone to stop laughing and poor Daniel broke out into a coughing fit but they eventually were able to calm down.

"I believe it is now my turn, ValaMalDoran, truth or dare?"

"I think for my first time out I am going to try truth."

"Has DanielJackson finally stopped acting foolishly and are you two finally pair-bonded?"

Vala smiled widely and with sheer joy. "Yes!" Then she turned and kissed Daniel soundly on the lips.

"Awww hell, Princess, do you know how much paperwork you just made for me?" If he had been able to keep the affection out of his voice, Mitchell might've been able to fool them into thinking he was upset but he was just too happy for his two friends.

Still smiling Vala said, "Oh goody it's my turn, Jack truth or dare?"

"Unlike all you 'fraidy cats, I'm going to pick dare." Jack was feeling pretty good about himself, until he got a good look at Vala's face. "Oh crap."

Vala laughed and it was a combination of an amused chuckle and an evil cackle. "I want you to jump into the pond,"

"It's freezing." Sam interrupted.

"I am not finished. I want you to jump into the pond wearing only those wonky cartoon boxers that I've heard about."

"Now I wonder where she heard about those." Despite his words Jack looked directly at Sam, who looked at him and raised her hands in a 'don't look at me gesture'.

"You're on!"

**FASTFORWARD 20 MINUTES**

Jack stood at the edge of the dock in the darkest Homer Simpson boxers he could find and nothing else. He was getting too old for this. The rest of the group stood on the grassy bank. There were a few catcalls and wolf whistles, the last and loudest came from Daniel who was grinning a bit too much for Jack's liking.

"Do you require assistance O'Neill?"

Jack yelled over his shoulder "No I think I can handle it myself." He turned and looked at his friends, who all looked very amused; looking at Carter last he winked, took a deep breath and jumped.

The water rushed around him like a freezing cocoon. His limbs were basically paralyzed and it took him awhile to coax them into pushing him to the surface. He broke through the surface a few moments later. "Aaaaa…llll…rrrrrrrr…ighty ccccc…ampers shows over."

By the time he made it up onto the dock Sam was waiting for him with a very large, very plush, and most importantly, very warm, towel. He happily took it and couldn't help but grin a little at his small accomplishment, he was dared and he went through with it and he felt great, a little cold but great nonetheless.

XXX

Almost an hour later Jack sat in front of a bonfire, Mitchell was on the other side and Teal'c and Daniel were to Jack's right and left. All had beers except Teal'c's was of the root variety.

"Hey, T,"

"Yes O'Neill."

"How's Ishta?"

"She is well, I saw her a few weeks ago when the Hak'tyl delegation came to discuss strategies against the Ori."

"Oh yeah, I remember that." With that a cell phone rang.

Cameron, Daniel, and Teal'c all looked confused, Jack had a strict no cell phone rule at the Cabin and everyone followed the rule and they were all wondering who would've been dumb enough to break the rule. Then Mitchell's mouth dropped, Daniel's brow furrowed, and Teal'c's eyebrow broke new records; Jack pulled out his cell phone. He walked away and talked for a good five minutes and then hung up. He smiled widely, hunkered down into his lawn chair and took a swig of his beer.

"Hypocrite." Daniel was the first to find words.

"Well rules are made to be broken. In fact if there is a really, really, really, good reason to break them then they should be thrown out the window."

"What do you mean, O'Neill?"

"Oh you'll see in about one second." He barely got a chance to finish his sentence before there was a blinding flash of light and the whoosh of the Asgard beaming technology could be heard.

"Mal lo onak," Teal'c was not a man of many words and when he spoke it was with conviction but he practically whispered these words because he could hardly believe the sight in front of him. "Ishta?"

"Hello, Husband."

**A/N-2: I know I suck for ending it there, you can blame the evil side of my brain who likes to torture good readers. I am working on more so fear not! Oh and please press that little review button below, you know you want to.**


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